Primary B-cell lymphoma of bone in children

Primary lymphoma of bone (PLB) is a rare entity of extranodal non-Hodgkin l ymphoma (NHL). We report on two children with PLB focussing on diagnostic e valuation and treatment strategy. Clinical and radiographic presentation in both children suggested a primary bone tumour such as Ewing sarcoma. A 13- year-old girl showed osteolytic tumours in the right 7th rib and right ilia c crest. Additional skeletal lesions were found by whole-body positron emis sion tomography. A 6-year-old boy presented with an isolated, osteolytic le sion of the left distal femur. In both patients staging procedures excluded any organ involvement besides the skeletal tumours. Tumour biopsy and immu nohistological studies revealed lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin lymphoma of B-cel l lineage in both children. They received a polychemotherapy for B-cell lym phoma according to the NHL-BFM 95 protocol and are in complete remission wi th a follow up of 24 and 18 months respectively. Conclusion Isolated, primary lymphoma of bone in children may clinically an d radiographically impose as primary bone tumour. Multiple therapeutic stra tegies have been applied in the treatment of this malignancy, however, trea tment modalities are not well focussed on immunological patterns in the cas e of primary lymphoma of bone. Staging techniques should include immunophen otyping to initiate specific cell lineage treatment.